Category Archives: Updates and Admin

Front Porch Forum is hiring! We are seeking a Ruby on Rails Developer to join our team. This position is full-time and based in Burlington, Vermont. Be part of a world-class team of software engineers, and help us fulfill our community-building mission. Check out the details and apply here.

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2017 marked the moment when Front Porch Forum saw its one-millionth posting! Celebrating 10 years helping neighbors connect and build community, FPF has experienced tremendous growth and accomplishments to serve every community in Vermont.

Take note of these FPF Milestones:

• More than 1 million postings made by our members• 3.5 million e-newsletters sent every month• More than 130,000 members…in a state with only 260,000 households

Co-Founder, Michael Wood-Lewis notes “we couldn’t be happier about the impact FPF has had across Vermont. Once people have an easy and safe way to communicate with neighbors, they do! And that simple act adds up. The cumulative impact is huge… after months of FPF, people often report feeling more connected to neighbors, more tuned in to local goings on, and more a part of their community. And in many cases, people then become more active… organizing a group yard sale, mentoring a local kid, volunteering for a park clean-up, voting on election day, and, most recently, helping each other during Blizzard Stella. That’s what FPF is all about!”

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“A successful first experience using Fix My Street is associated with a 57 percent increase in the probability of an individual submitting a second report, and the experience of bureaucratic responsiveness to the first report submitted has predictive power over all future report submissions.”

This jibes with what we observe with Front Porch Forum. People stick with it because, simply, it works. They post a request, question, call for support, etc., and they get results. So they keep participating.

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As Front Porch Forum celebrates 10 years helping neighbors connect and build community, our team has grown and evolved. FPF serves every community in Vermont, and 130,000 members participate out of the 260,000 households that exist in the state. Our staff has grown and evolved to better serve our members and business community. Take a look at our dynamic sales team.

New AdditionsJodi Harrington is an 8th generation Manchester, Vermont gal and 5th generation graduate from Burr and Burton Academy. Previous owner/editor of the Winooski Eagle newspaper and marketing director for both Onion River Co-op and Opportunities Credit Union, Jodi’s small business marketing skills are a great advantage to businesses utilizing FPF. She’s a strong activist in her communities having served on both the Winooski School Board and City Council. She loves the mountains and can be often found on the slopes (she is a level 3 PSIA ski instructor who has taught at Bromley, Smuggs, Whiteface, Bolton, Stowe and Burke).

Wendy Wilson brings her 20 years of experience in marketing, public education and communications to Front Porch Forum. She’s been actively involved in the fabric of Vermont through past work with Chittenden Solid Waste District, Vermont Commons School and Energy Action Network. In addition to her role at Front Porch Forum, Wendy also works part-time for VBSR. She has two teenage daughters and lives in Bristol where she enjoys cycling, traveling, cooking, reading and walking her dog Stella.

Celebrating Five YearsSuzie McCoy has helped local businesses connect with FPF members since 2012. She’s seen FPF membership double in that time, and has a genuine enthusiasm for the important role that FPF plays in our communities. Fluent in French, Suzie earned a master’s degree in education, and has taught at the high school and college levels. She’s an active volunteer and cofounded the Vermont nonprofit Action Coalition for Media Education, and currently serves as school board vice chair. Mom to her 12-year old son, you can find her pursuing a number of outdoor activities year round.

PromotionCongratulations to Gisele Nelson, who after six years with FPF has been promoted to Sales Team Manager. Gisele started her tenure with FPF as an intern while she was a student at UVM. Her skills were quickly put to work as she took on a role in both Member Support and as an Online Content Manager. She built a strong rapport with many local businesses while in these roles which led her into the sales realm at FPF. Gisele’s strength in balancing her work and understanding of needs from both members and local businesses, combined with her strong inter-office communication skills, led her into this newly developed role at FPF.

Front Porch Forum celebrates 10 years helping neighbors connect and build community. Using technology to bring neighbors closer together, members of a local forum submit their own messages, which FPF distributes to nearby residents as an online newsletter. Because the service is moderated and real names accompany postings, the discussions remain civil, engaging, and relevant. FPF is popular, because it works. Ask any of our sales team staff how they can help put your business in the forefront of neighborhood conversations with our active, engaged membership.

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FPF is ten years old now! Help us celebrate with our annual New Year word play and free prize drawing!

Submit your entry before midnight Thursday, January 5, 2017 — any posting consisting of exactly ten (10) words submitted before the deadline will enter you into a free drawing* to win one of these 25 great prizes:

*FPF welcomes up to two entries per day per person. Post about whatever tickles your fancy. Click on the links under PAST ENTRIES for loads of great samples.

Invite your Vermont friends, family, co-workers and others to join their local FPF and enter the raffle! They can sign up at FrontPorchForum.com. Check out flyers, social media tie-ins, and more on our Pitch In page. Spread the word!

UPDATE: This raffle is now CLOSED. Here are our lucky randomly drawn winners…

More than 125,000 Vermont households participate on their local FPFs. As you’ve seen, neighbors find lost pets, report break-ins, recommend electricians, organize block parties, and so much more. And each exchange among neighbors carries the promise of community building.

If you agree that FPF is something special, then please help keep it strong. We are a Vermont business, hosting FPFs in each of the state’s 251 towns. Our staff of 14 work seven days a week to deliver our service. Most of our operating expenses are covered through ad sales to Vermont businesses. Your Supporting Member contributions help cover the rest.

Contributions are voluntary. Any amount you can give brings us closer to our 2016 goal, and makes FPF vibrant in your community. If you value FPF, become a supporting member now and help us reach our $150,000 annual statewide goal: https://frontporchforum.com/supporting-members

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It’s time for our annual New Year word play and free prize drawing! Submit your posting to FPF before midnight Thursday, January 7, 2016 consisting of exactly six (6) words and you’ll be entered into a free drawing* to win one of these great prizes:

More than 100,000 Vermont households participate on their local FPFs. As you’ve seen, lost pets are found, break-ins are reported to neighbors, electricians are recommended, block parties are organized and so much more. And each exchange among neighbors carries the promise of building community.

If you agree that FPF is something special, then please help keep it strong. We are a Vermont business, hosting FPF in each of the state’s 251 towns. Our staff of 12 work seven days a week to deliver our service. Most of our operating expenses are covered through ad sales to Vermont businesses. Your Supporting Member contributions help cover the rest.

Contributions are voluntary. Any amount you can give brings us closer to our 2015 goal, and makes FPF vibrant in your community. If you value FPF, become a supporting member now and help us reach our $100,000 goal: http://frontporchforum.com/supporting-members